The state legislature’s Natural Resource Committee may decide Wednesday if Nevada will become the third state to conduct a comprehensive study on climate inequity.
High school students scored lower on tests in areas with high levels of pollution,” said 15-year-old Haley Elmore.
The Natural Resources Committee heard from people like this Chaparral High School student, who say they live in communities that are disproportionately affected by climate issues.
“Children who grow up in areas with high pollution have more chances of developing asthma and have reduced lung function as adults,” Elmore said.
If this bill moves forward, Nevada could be one of only three states to conduct detailed studies focusing on climate and environmental inequities. Assembly Bill 71 and Assembly Bill 131 would contract a third party to conduct the detailed study and make recommendations on what specific neighborhoods are most at risk.
“It is recognizing that we often do look at these things in silos,” Assemblyman Howard Watts said. The goal is to make more informed decisions about our environmental concerns.
“When we’re just looking at things one piece at a time and don’t look at what’s the impact on an entire neighborhood on decisions made over a period of years on these projects, I think it’s a bit of a blind spot for us,” he said.
